Apparatus for disintegrating vegetable substances



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. MAGOORMAOK & H. L. VAN ZILE. APPARATUS FOR DISINTEGRATING VEGETABLESUBSTANCES.

N0. 466,982. Patented Jan. 12, 1892.

' \A/IT NEESEE:

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. MAOGORMAGK & H. L. VAN ZILE. APPARATUSFOR DISINIEGRATING VEGETABLE SUBSTAN GES.

N0 466,982.. Patented Jan. 12, 1892.

rm: nmims FETERB 00., mow-mum, wqanmoromp. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3'. J. MAGGOEMAGK &; H. L. VAN ZILE.APPARATUS FOR DISINTEGRATING VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES.

No. 466,982. Patented Jan. 12, 1892.

\MT 155555 \WENT 13:35 W ziW 1% hw fi WM 4AM @Vwyfflwfi STATES ATENT mm.

JOHN MACOORMAOK AND HARRY L. VAN ZILE, OF ALBANY, ASSIGNORS OFONF-TI-IIRD TO OSCAR E. VAh ZILE, OF TROY, NE'W YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DISINTEGRAT ING VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,982, dated January12, 1892.

Application filed December 14, 1889. Serial No. 333,692. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: lar-form man-hole passage, with the upperdia- Be it known that we, JOHN MACCORMACK phragin-plate shown in plan.Fig. isatransand HARRY L. VAN ZILE, both citizens of the verse sectiontaken on the line 5 at the waist United States, and residents of thecity of Alof the digester. Fig. 6 is another transverse 5 bany, in thecounty of Albany and State of section taken through the digester on aline New York, have invented certain new and immediately below theguy-rods and guy-rod useful Improvements in Apparatus for Disstraps,showing the latter and parts of the integrating Vegetable Substances, ofwhich rods. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the trussthe following is aspecification. supports used to sustain the 'bottom dia- 10 Ourinvention relates to improvements in phragm of the digester, with saidtruss-supapparatus for treating vegetable cellulose to ports shown asremoved from the latter, and adapt it for paper-stock and other uses;and which when in position within the digester our invention has for itsobject to provide by are arranged between the diaphragm and the animproved construction and arrangement bottom head of the digester. Fig.8 is a per- 65. r 5 of the apparatus a means to make more effispectiveof the truss-supports that when in cient the circulation of the liquorthrough position within the digester are arranged be- I the materialcohTaTned in the digesting aptween the upper diaphragm and the top headparatusj so'hs to improve the value of the of the digester, thetruss-supports and the product and quicken and make more uniformdiaphragm being shown in this illustration 20 the treatment, and toincrease the durability as removed from the digester. In Figs. 7 and ofthe digester by an improved construction 8 thecross-bar connections ofthe truss-supof the parts. ports are shown by dotted lines. Fig. 9 is aAccompanying this specification to form a plan ortop View of thesupports on which the part of it there are three sheets of drawings,lower head of the digester rests. 25 containingnine figures,illustrating the appa- The several parts of the apparatus thus ratusthat contains our invention, with the illustrated are designated byletter reference, same designation of parts by letter reference and thefunction of the parts is described as used in all of them. follows:

Of these illustrations, Figure 1 is an eleva- The letter A'designatesthe digester, which 30 tion of a digesting-vessel, a heating apparaiscylindrical in form and preferably made of tus, and connecting pipes andvalves for ciriron or steel and adapted to sustain pressure. culatingliquor through the digester, with The letter a designates the exteriorwalls of parts of the side walls of the latter and parts the digester;at, its upper head; a its botof the walls of the heater shown as brokentom head. 8 5 out to illustrate their interior construction. The letterB designates a diaphragm that Fig. 2 is a vertical section, takenthrough isperforated and arrangedtrausverselywithin the upper end of thedigester, through the the digester below its upper head a, so as to Lman-hole passage, the tubular continuation produce the liquor-chamber Gbetweemid of the man-hole passage, the diaphragm in diaphragm B and thehead a. The letter B 40 the upper end of the digester, the mechanismdesignates another perforated diaphragm that for closing the tubularcontinuation of the is arranged within the digester near its botman-holepassage, and with the truss-suptom head aisoas to produce between thelatports omitted. Fig. 3 is a section taken horiter and said diaphragmthe liquor-chamber zontally through the outer wall of the di- 0. Thesediaphragms separate the chambers 5 5 gester, the man-hole passage on theline 1 2 O and G from the chamber D within the diof Fig. 2, with theplate for stopping off the gester wherein the stock is treated. Both ofman-hole passage below where the section is these diaphragms areperforated for the pastaken, as well as the upper diaphragm illussage ofthe liquor (used in treating the stock) trated in plan. Fig. 4is atransverse section, into the chambers they each inclose in con- :00 5otaken on the line 3 tot Fig. 2, through the dinection with that one ofthe heads of the digester-wall, the downwardly-extended tubugester towhich they are separately adjacent.

The diaphragm Bis held in place within the digester by means of a flangeZ), that is inwardly projected from the interior walls of the digester,on which annular flange the perimeter of the diaphragm B rests forsupport. This inwardly-projecting flange Z) is produced by means of anangle-iron that is bent to 0011- form to the interior of the digester,having its vertical side riveted t0 the digester-shell,with the otherside of the angle-iron extended inwardly to form said flange.

The letter E designates a truss-support that is arranged between theupper diaphragm B and the upper head a of the digester. Thistruss-support consists of a series of bars 6 e e, arranged horizontallyacross the upper face of the diaphragm B and united together, as shownat Fig. 1. The letter 6 designates another series of bars that areconcavely curved to correspond to the inner face of the top head a, ofthe digester, as shown at Fig. 1. These two series of bars 6 and e arepreferably made of angle-iron and have secured between them at intervalsthe posts 6 and braces e", as shown at Figs. 1 and 8. The function ofthese truss-supports as thus made and arranged in connect-ion with thediaphragm B is to hold the diaphragm in position and to prevent itsdisplacement by pressure operating outwardly and upwardly from thechamber D, and the object of thus constructing the-diaphragm to restupon the flange Z) (instead of forminga flange on the edge ofthediaphragm and then rigidly riveting this flange to the digester-wall, asis usually done) is to take the strain produced by outward pressure fromthe shell, where the diaphragm has usually been attached by a line ofrivets, and transfer it to the head, where the strain is, by means ofthe truss E, divided up over the whole area of the head. Anotheradvantage produced by having the diaphragm unattached to the side wallsof the digester is that in expanding and contracting by heat underpressure there is no rivet-line of connection to become loosened andleaky thereby. The diaphragm B, arranged in the lower end of thedigester and on which in a measure the weight of the material rests, isarranged on an incline with its lower end below the discharge-opening Vand its upper end above the latter. This diaphragm B, like the other, isperforated, and is arranged to rest on a truss-support E, as shown inFig. 1. This truss-support E is made of bars (preferably of angle-iron)e e and c, with the bars 6 e conforming to and attached to the slant ofthe under face of the diaphragm B, and the bars 6' bent to correspond tothe concavityof the head a and braces e connecting at their upper endswith the bars 0 and at their lower ends with the bars a, each of thebraces 6 where connecting at their lower ends with the bars 6 and attheir upper ends with the bars 6, making such connection at a V-formangle, as shown at Fig.1. The function of the truss E is to support thediaphragm B independently of the sides of the digester whereat the edgesof the diaphragm are located and to enable the diaphragm to sustain theweight of the charge and to prevent its being forced outwardly anddownwardly by interior pressure.

The letter A designates a man-hole sea-t formed in the head a, of thedigester, and this man-hole is provided with a cover A The letterdesignates a tube that downwardly extends from the man-hole to producethe passage F, extending down through the diaphragm B,the lower part ofthe tube 1 being perforated at f, as shown at Fig. 2.

The letters g designate lugs that are inwardly projected from the tube fabove where perforated at f, as shown in full lines at Fig. 2 and bydotted lines at Fig. 3.

The letters It designate blocks that are secured to the inner face ofthe tubef above where perforated, as shown at Figs. 2 and 3. Theseblocks are set at intervals apart and with their lower ends transverselyin line and located far enough above the upper ends of the lugs g forthe entrance between the tops of said lugs and the bottom ends of saidblocks ll of the closing-plate G. This plate G is of a disk form and hasmade in its perimeter notches 1 which will register with the blocks It,so as to pass down over the latter to rest on the tops of the lugs g.

The letter G designates a handle that is upwardly projected from theclosing-plate G. Vhen the latter is passed down over the blocks 7t andturned to a point where the notches i do not register with the saidblocks,

said closing-plate is held in position between said blocks and said lugswhen it is desired to close the passage F. hen it is desired to opensaid passage, the plate G is turned by its handle until its notches iregister with the blocks, when it can be drawn out. This plate G may bemade with perforations, and, if desired, the whole of the tube f may bemade without perforations. Vvhen the closing-plate is removed, then thepassage F connects with the digester-chamber D.

The letter II designates an annular chamher that is arranged to encirclethe digester at its waist, and this annular chamber is produced by theperforated wall ll, arranged within the chamber D of the digesterbetween said wall H and the outer wall a of the digester. Thisperforated wall is preferably connected to the wall a by means ofangleiron or any other well-known means.

The letter I designates a pump that is provided with an inlet-pipe J anda main outlet pipe L. This inlet-pipe J has branch pipes Q, and Q eachof which is provided with a valve q, and this pipe is extended laterallyat P and thereat provided with a valve 7). The function of the pipes Q,Q and P is to supply liquor to the pump from other sources than thedigester. This pump-supply pipe J is extended laterally and upwardly toconnect with the bottom chamber O 0f the digester, so as to draw liquortherefrom, and

ICC

this upward extension of said pipe J is provided with a valve j. Thissupply-pipe J also connects with a branch pipe M, having a valve m, andalso withthe pipe K, having a valve 70, from either or both of which connections, when the proper valves are opened and others closed, liquorcan be drawn by the pump from the digester, as will be subsequentlydescribed. The pump discharge pipe L has connected lateralextension-pipes N and O, the latter connecting with the upward extensionof the pipe J above its valve 7', and where extended toward the pumptoconnect with the pipe part N said pipe part 0 is provided with a valve0. The pipe part N is provided with a valve 47., and has anupwardly-extended branch that is provided with a valve it below where itconnects with the pipe K. The pipe L has an upwardlyextended branch thatconnects with the heater R, and this upward extension of the pipe L,below where it connects with the branch M of the pipe J, is providedwith a valve Z. The upper part of the pipe L, where it connects with thetop of the heater R, is made with a horizontally-extended branch thatconnects with the chamber H, surrounding the digester at the waist, andwhere thus laterally extended this pipe L is provided with a valve Z.Above the heater and from where thus laterally extended this pipe L'connects with the pipe K,and between the latter connection and the topof the heater it is constructed with a valve Z The pipe K at its upperend connects with the chamber 0 at the top of the digester and therefromextends downwardly on an incline to connect with the pipe L, as beforedescribed, and from the latter connection extends toward the digester,it having in this lateral extension a valve 70, and fromthence itextends downwardly to connect with the branch pipe N and the pumpsupply-pipe J, as before described, said pipe K having a valve arrangedthereon below where it connects with the pipe N. Vith the pipes J, K, L,M, N, and O, with their branch connections, as thus arranged andprovided with valves, by means of the pump I a series of novelcirpnlationsofihe li quor through the digester are easily accomplished.Thus by opening the valve j on the pipe J and the valves 7t and k on thepipe K, opening the valve Z on the pipe L, opening the valve Z on theupper lateral extension of the pipe L, and closing all the other valves,liquor can be drawn from the op and bottoTii'o'f the digester and forcedy the puFpiiito the annular chamber H, surrounding the digester. Byopening the valves 7c and 70' on the pipe K, opening the valve Z on theupper lateral extension of the pipe L, opening the valve m 011 the pipeM, opening the valves n and o, and closing all the other valves liquorcan be drawn from the top and waistof the digester and dischargedintothe bottom of the latter. By opening the valvefoh the pump supply-pipe Jopening the valves Z Z Z on the pipe L, and closing all the other valvesliquor can be drawn from the bgttqm of the digestervessel and deliveredin two streams, one of them entering the annular chamber H and the otherthe top of thedigester. By opening the valve Ton the pump supply-pipe J,also the valves 01, n, and 70 on the pipes N and K, opening the valve Zon the upper lateral extension of the pipe L, opening the valve on onthe pipe M, and closing all the other valves liquor can be drawn fromthe botttpp of the digester and the annular chamber of the latter anddischarged into the top of the digester. The pipeL,leadingfrom the pumpI, as before described, enters and leads from the heater R, and whensteam is applied to the latter it serves to heat the liquor passingthrough it. iVhen steam is not applied thereto, the heater R acts as acontinuation of the pipe L. By thus circulating the liquor through themass alternatingly in different directions the stock is prevented fromtar etiin'gimpacted through the action of gravity and outdraft, and theaction of the liquor is more prompt in treating the material than wherethe material is quiescent, and to these varying currents means isfurnished to reheat the liquor while passing from one part of thedigester to another. 7

The letter R designates the heater, which is arranged adjacent to thedigesting-cylinder A, and is so connected with the pipes beforedescribed that the liquor when drawn from one part of the digesterA tobe discharged into another part thereof shall pass through the heaterunder the draft action of the pump, or by an arrangement of the valvesand pipes before described liquor may be drawn from the parts of thedigester'and then forced through the heater to be discharged into thedigester. In either instance the liqquor will be reheated while passingthrough the heater. Tliis'lieater R is shown as supported on brackets r,resting on beams S. supported on posts S. It is shown as cylindrical inform. This heater is provided with steam supply pipes T, connecting with.a steam-boiler, (not shown,) and these steampipes communicate with thesteam-chamber R of the heater to supply steam thereto, with meansprovided for the escape of the condensation, which are not shown.

The letters 0' designate the pipes through which the liquor passes, andthese pipes are vertically arranged in the steam-chamber, and at theirends these pipes communicate with the liquor-chambers at the top andbottom of the heater. Liquor is forced into and through said heater bythe pump I and its connecting pipe L or drawn through said heater bysaid pump by means of the pipe L, connecting with the top of the heaterand the digester, and the branch pipe M, connecting with the pipe L andthe bottom of the heater, and with the pump-supply pipe J when thevalves on the pipes L, M, and J are arranged for such movement of theliquor. As thus made 4 recess and connected said heater is adapted toheat liquor by having it drawn from the digester to pass through it, orto heat liquor when drawn from the digester by the pump, and by thelatter forced through the heater, which is advantageous in various waysin the treatment of stock within the digester, enabling the operator toapply hot liquor to either or any part of the digester.

The letter U designates a live-steam pipe leading from a boiler (notshown) or from the heater R and connecting with the upper end of thepipe K, which latter communicates with the chamber C. This pipe U has abranch pipe U, that connects with the cham her 0 of the digester. Thesepipes T U U are provided with valves for controlling or directing thepassage of the steam into the chamber R of the heater and the chambers(J and C of the digester, as may be required.

The letter V designates a blow-off pipe provided with a valve, by whichthe contents of the digester are discharged.

The letters XV designate blocks, the upper ends of which are concavelyrounded out to correspond to the convexity of the lower head a of thedigester when the latter rests thereon. Then the head of the digester issquare and at right angles to the sides and without convexity, then thetops of the blocks are made coincidently square. These blocks rest upona foundation sui'iiciently strong to sus tain the weight they have tosupport. As shown in the drawings, this foundation is produced by I-beams 10, which are connected together and secured in any suitablemanner for holding each member thereof securely joined to the others, soas to rest on a supporting-beam X, resting on masonry. \Vhen masonry isemployed in lieu of the L beams, we prefer to make said masonry in itsground plan of a U form, so as to admit of access to the bottom of thedigester, with the blocks V resting on the masonry Y. here the lower endof the digester rests on three or more blocks \V, the usual brackets orlugs, which are riveted to the digester sides to rest on beams ormasonry, are omitted, and thus all the consequent contingency of leakagecaused by the hanging strain of the digester upon the rivets connectingthe brackets or lugs with the digester are avoided, and the expansionand contraction of the digester between its heads is uniform and notinterfered with by the brackets or lugs on which the digester hangs.

The letters 2 2 designate a guy-strap which encircles the digester nearits upper head, and Z guy-rods connected to said strap, running to anyconvenient point of connection to steady the digester, thus standingwith its lower end upon the supporting-blocks W and to prevent anylateral tendency of movement.

To render the circulation of the liquor more diffusive within the tubesof the heater, a plate R is placed between one of the end chambers ofthe heater R and the pipe L.

This plate R can, if desired, be made to have a diameter equal to thatof the heater-chamber in which it is placed, although we prefer to makeit about half the diameter of the heater. This plate is perforated, sothat the area of the perforations will be equal in areal capacity tothat of the pipe L. The heater may be made with a man-hole and cover toobtain access to the interior, if desired, and the chamber on the upperend of the heater is preferably made to have the same vertical depth asthe pipes r.

\Ve are aware of the fact that a digester has been patented in whichpipes and a pump 7 provided with a two-way cock were arranged so thatliquor could be drawn from the upper end of the digester and dischargedinto the lower end of the latter, and also drawn from the lower end ofthe digester and discharged into the top thereof, which construction ofa pump made with a two-way cock we hereby disclaim. lVe are also awareof the fact that the liquor drawn from a digester for treatingpaper-stock and returned thereto has intermediately been passed througha heater. \Ve are also aware of the fact that a digester has beenconstructed with circulating-pipes, and a connecting-pump by whichliquor can be drawn from an annular chamber at the waist of the digesterand discharged in two currents, one of them entering the top of thedigcster and the other the bottom, as is shown in English Letters PatentNo. 11,848, of 1888. Our improvel'nents upon these older constructionsbefore named enable the person operating the apparatus to apply to thedigester circulations of the liquor which could not be had by theseolder patented mechanisms alluded to.

It is well known that the stockwithin a digester as it becomes cookedand softened by the action of the alkalineliquoris made more pulpy, andthat while in this condition the liquor circulates less freely throughit. Hence liquor supplied in alternating currents either into or fromout the ends of the digester will cook more rapidly that portion of thematerial that is nearest to the point of its entrance and affect lessthose portions which are more remote. lVith this portion of thebetter-cooked materialarranged at the points at which the liquor entersand is drawn in, where it will retard the circulation of the en teringliquor through the mass, so, also, where the liquor is continuouslydrawn from the waste and discharged into the ends of the digester.

By our improvement in the arrangement of the circulating-pipes asprovided with valves and connected with the pump, a series of shortcirculations through parts of the d igester are made available to meetlocal conditions of the stock, (found by testing,) and by which thedesired local eilect of heat and liquor can be applied thereto withoutovertreating portions of the stock already sutliciently cooked, none ofwhich results can be performed by liquor drawn continuouslyfrom theannular chamber and discharged into the top and bottom of the digester,or by an apparatus adapted to draw liquor from the top of the digesterand discharge it into the bottom of the latter or to draw it from thebottom and discharge it into the top of the digester.

By using the ordinary and well-known treatment of the stock had byforcing the alkaline liquor drawn from the top into the bottom, or viceversa, as shown and described in the patent to Harding and Dixon of May8, 1866, until the material at the upper and lower ends of the digesteris sufficiently treated, and then after testing the stock to applyeither of the local circulations which we are enabled to use (by thearrangement of pipes, valves, and pump, which we illustrate anddescribe) to such portions of the stock as are underdone, we are enabledto reach the latter without forcing the liquor through and applyingextra heat to those portions of the stock alreadysufficiently treated,and thus to overcook the latter by such proceeding.

The arrows 1 and 2 designate the currents of the liquor drawn from thetop and bottom of the digester to the pump and the arrow 3 the course ofthe liquor from the pump to the annular chamber, and the arrow 4designates liquor drawn from the top of the di gester from the annularchamber and the arrow 5 the course of this liquor when discharged intothe bottom of the digester, and which directions, as thus indicated bythe arrangement of the various valves, produces the several circulationsnamed.

lVhat we claim as being our invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The combination, with a digester for treating paper-stock, saiddigester being made with a chamber at each end separated from thedigester interior by a perforated diaphragm and having an annularchamber at the waist connecting with the digester interior,substantially as described, of a pump having a draft-supply pipeconnecting with the digester-bottom and having bran ch draft-supplypipes connecting with the annular chamber and top of the digester andhaving branch discharge-pipes connecting said pump with the annularchamber the top and bottom of the digester, with valves on said draftand discharge pipes arranged to produce either of the severalcirculations of the liquor through said pipes into andfrom out of thedigester, substantially as herein described, and for the purposes setforth.

2. The combination, in a liquor-heating device and with a head thereof,of the diffusive plate R, provided with perforations and forming withsaid head aliquor-chamber between the open ends of theliquor-circulating tubes and the outlet (or inlet) of said heating de.-vice, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the digester-vessel and supporting devices 10 Xor their described equivalents, of the supporting-blocks \V, three ormore, having bearing on the lower head of said vessel at intervalsapart, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with an upright digesting-vessel, of thesupporting-blocks W, three or more, and the foundation to X or itsdescribed equivalents, and the guy-rods Z Z, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the digester A, made with the flange bprojecting inwardly from its interior wall, of the diaphragm B, arrangedto rest on said flange, and the truss E, arranged between said diaphragmand the head of the digester, substantiallyin the manner as and for thepurposes set forth.

6. The combination, with a digester having a perforated diaphragmarranged between its head and the digester interior, substantially asdescribed, of a truss-support arranged between said head and diaphragm,such trusssupport being made with posts and braces, each of which at oneof its ends is attached to a transverse bar on the interior of thedigester-head, and each of which posts or braces at their other endsisattached to a transverse bar on the diaphragm, substantially in the 5manner as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN MACCORMAOK. HARRY L. VAN ZILE.

Witnesses:

OHAs. S. BYINGTON, JOHN HERzoe.

